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Silent Hope is an outstanding dungeon crawler and one of the few on the market that are easy to recommend for players either burned by prior games or who are completely new to the genre.
NHL 24 does do some things that make changes to gameplay in a positive way.
Turn 10 Studios and PlayGround Games have improved the simulation racing aspect with Forza Motorsport. The racing is clearly the focus and the results are best experienced with a wheel as the tire model physics have helped to push this more into sim racing territory.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is a triumphant return to the style of the original Assassin's Creed games.
Counter-Strike 2 is a mostly positive update to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The enhanced visuals that range from improved textures to lighting and particle effects help bring the graphics up to date while keeping the required specs low enough where the experience isn't limited to those with super expensive gaming rigs.
Geometric Interactive's debut in Cocoon, though lacking in the kind of imagination and surreal creativity its premise might entail, still winds up a pleasant and solid-enough first attempt.
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventures of Dai is an interesting idea in bringing the anime to video game form that falls short in execution.
Pizza Possum delivers a clever twist on classic arcade gameplay with its simple and fun stealth-based gameplay, and it has a ton of charm in its colorful visuals and appealing take on an Italian landscape. But a lack of content and awkward handling of power-ups provide a sour taste, though there's still enough here that you should at least consider sampling a bite of it. If it's good enough for our possum buddy, after all…
Fate/Samurai Remnant is an enjoyable entry in the Fate universe.
The ambition of the game design makes it easy to overlook Wildmender's technical flaws.
El Paso, Elsewhere is an excellent nod to the days of Max Payne, but thanks to its impressive story, surreal world and unforgettable soundtrack, it still manages to stand on its own as a top-notch shooter. With smooth, slick combat that perfectly feels like a classic action games with a modern feel, this is one terrific blast of adrenaline that anyone should check out. The Void may mess with you quite a bit, but the trip through it is definitely worth taking.
Disgaea 7 improves upon its predecessor by building a balanced and more complete roster than what we've become used to, but unfortunately it falls apart in other areas.
Despite a few flaws that harm the pacing, Mineko's Night Market is a truly impressive life sim that stands out among a sea of similar wholesome games thanks to its jaw-dropping visuals, unique emphasis on Japanese culture and arts and crafts, and a cute story at the center of it all filled with wonder. It's a terrific little game that can be enjoyed by those of all ages, plus, again, you get to pet hundreds of cats. Really, that alone should make it worth it.
Enchanted Portals is an absolute mess, plain and simple.
What EA has done with its relaunched soccer title is define the series going forward.
Despite its smaller and unfortunately limited pool of content, F-Zero 99 still stands not just as another terrific application of the 99-player Royale format, but one that goes as far as to redefine any and all prior knowledge people may have had of the original SNES debut.
Cyberpunk 2077 had an unfortunate launch and as a result there are many who have written off a game that should have been remembered as being one of the top games of 2020.
Moonstone Island is an addicting blend of various genres that still maintains its own identity.
Mortal Kombat 1 was pitched as the start of a new era for Mortal Kombat, where NetherRealm Studios had complete freedom to craft the universe they wanted, mostly free from the previous two eras.
Super Bomberman R 2 brings a lot of ideas to the game without actually introducing new opportunities.